Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Lackey, Bay, Trades

Scott Boras said on Sunday that the Cardinals have not made any proposals in an effort to retain Matt Holliday, and Heyman says "the chances for Holliday to remain a Cardinal look slim at this point."

A source familiar with the situation said the Angels offered John Lackey an extension earlier this year worth less than $40MM over three years on top of 2009's $10MM salary, so if they wish to re-sign him now, they'll have to completely rethink their original stance.

The Red Sox are trying to bring Jason Bay back on a four year, $60MM deal, though his agent maintains that Bay is the "most complete player on the market."

The Mets, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, and Yankees could also be interested in Holliday and/or Bay.

The Mets are believed to have Holliday higher on their wish list than Bay, and are also expected to pursue Randy Wolf.

There is speculation that Lackey would like to pitch at home in Texas, but the Rangers' interest might depend on how quickly their sale is resolved.

Heyman says that "MLB has set a tentative Thanksgiving deadline for the sale of the Rangers, but the price tag is expected to be in the $500 million range, and in cases of such big money there are no guarantees that things will go quickly."

Halladay seems like a good bet to be moved, while the Red Sox and Dodgers represent possible suitors for Gonzalez.

Tampa has a replacement for Crawford in top prospect Desmond Jennings, while Jenks and Uggla would be moved in cost cutting deals.

Teams will certainly inquire on the availability of Felix Hernandez, but Heyman says the team plans to spend the winter trying to lock him up long-term. At the GM Meetings today, GM Jack Zduriencik said "Felix is our property. We're going to have him the next two years."

The Yankees have started to think about re-signing both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.

Both the Brewers and Mariners are expected to have interest in Jarrod Washburn.

If the Angels don't re-sign Chone Figgins, they are expected to pursue Adrian Beltre to fill their third base hole.

The Rangers will let Hank Blalock walk as a free agent, and are expected to promote top prospect Justin Smoak next year.

Orlando Hudson is expected to leave the Dodgers as a free agent, though Heyman says they could re-sign Ronnie Belliard to compete with Blake DeWitt at second base.

Team officials would not be shocked if the Red Sox tried to move David Ortiz and/or Mike Lowell, though it's going to be tough to move them with all the DH-types available on the free agent market.